How would YOU improve T5 - radical ideas to reboot BA’s “home”
#152
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 993
#153
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Brighton UK
Programs: BAEC-Silver, AMEX-BA Prem' Plus & Standard, Accor Gold, HH-Silver, IHG,IBIS On Business
Posts: 955
A lot of these are admittedly 1st world problems but all the same.
Urinals in the men's bathrooms in the lounge. Mrs Clam found it hilarious when we flew out of T5 for new years and I had to wait longer for a cubicle than she did. My bladder didn't find it nearly so funny.
Could somebody explain to me why I need to show a boarding pass to use a shower?!
As people with LGW as our home airport I was amused, scared and baffled by the need to ask for some bubbles. When I eventually found the right person to ask I was met with a look of annoyance and incredulity that i'd had the affront to ask and found the being told( see also: barked at) Wait THERE! very OTT. Amusement aspect was when a couple other people heard me ask and suddenly enthusiastically joined the request holding area and I quite enjoyed the mini SS member of staffs face when I said i'd have four glasses( 2 for each of us) and when asked why( again what does it bloody matter?!) I said it would save her having to be annoyed at doing her job a second time and me being barked at the way she'd done 5 minutes earlier. ( Before anyone gets super defensive a member of BA Staff came over unprompted later saying she'd been looking for me to apologise for said member of staffs attitude but had been in the middle of something at the time).
Better gate management
Better gate management
Better gate management
"fast track" course it is, tbh i'd bloody hate to be using the standard security if that's fast track.
A little customer service for LHR Security( Very much get what LHR regulars are saying now) although that gave us some mild mirth as well when one of them insisted upon X and when politely asked why by Mrs Clam was told it was none of her business & to do as she was told( literally those words I kid you not) resulting in a very sheepish member of staff and manager apologising afterwards when certain documentation was shared with them along with an explanation of the requirements to explain to pax why X was required ( she's not one to do such things but in this case it was very valid).
Did I mention better gate management?
Better signage
Oh and I found the way they managed the gates to be a bit crap as well.
Urinals in the men's bathrooms in the lounge. Mrs Clam found it hilarious when we flew out of T5 for new years and I had to wait longer for a cubicle than she did. My bladder didn't find it nearly so funny.
Could somebody explain to me why I need to show a boarding pass to use a shower?!
As people with LGW as our home airport I was amused, scared and baffled by the need to ask for some bubbles. When I eventually found the right person to ask I was met with a look of annoyance and incredulity that i'd had the affront to ask and found the being told( see also: barked at) Wait THERE! very OTT. Amusement aspect was when a couple other people heard me ask and suddenly enthusiastically joined the request holding area and I quite enjoyed the mini SS member of staffs face when I said i'd have four glasses( 2 for each of us) and when asked why( again what does it bloody matter?!) I said it would save her having to be annoyed at doing her job a second time and me being barked at the way she'd done 5 minutes earlier. ( Before anyone gets super defensive a member of BA Staff came over unprompted later saying she'd been looking for me to apologise for said member of staffs attitude but had been in the middle of something at the time).
Better gate management
Better gate management
Better gate management
"fast track" course it is, tbh i'd bloody hate to be using the standard security if that's fast track.
A little customer service for LHR Security( Very much get what LHR regulars are saying now) although that gave us some mild mirth as well when one of them insisted upon X and when politely asked why by Mrs Clam was told it was none of her business & to do as she was told( literally those words I kid you not) resulting in a very sheepish member of staff and manager apologising afterwards when certain documentation was shared with them along with an explanation of the requirements to explain to pax why X was required ( she's not one to do such things but in this case it was very valid).
Did I mention better gate management?
Better signage
Oh and I found the way they managed the gates to be a bit crap as well.
Last edited by Prospero; Feb 4, 19 at 4:31 pm Reason: Expletive deleted per FT rules
#154
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,098
I think they should have non-loo cubicles, i.e. make-up areas/cubicles, even, because make-up and grooming routine is often what's slowing down the turnaround time for ladies' loos, often resulting in having to wait for the loo even in the CCR.
Also, it's currently an inefficient use of space.
Also, it's currently an inefficient use of space.
#155
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,526
I think they should have non-loo cubicles, i.e. make-up areas/cubicles, even, because make-up and grooming routine is often what's slowing down the turnaround time for ladies' loos, often resulting in having to wait for the loo even in the CCR.
Also, it's currently an inefficient use of space.
Also, it's currently an inefficient use of space.
#156
Suspended
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London
Programs: *A G, OW S.
Posts: 996
Totally agree with everything being said about the toilets in the lounges, they amount to disorganised chaos and they usually smell pretty bad too. It's not as if the rest of the BA lounge experience is in any way exclusive so the toilets are a bizarre adjunct.
#157
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
Generic stuff:
- Display the gates when they're decided, not at a set time before the flight.
- Faster shuttles. The security check does eat up quite some time too.
- Fast track isn't really fast. You're even sent to the same queue quite often if you pick the North side. (Luckily the First Wing is alright)
- Galleries South is annoyingly far. Why they put the CCR in the way, I don't know. It doesn't make sense.
Lounge stuff:
- Better beer selection (wine and whisky are okay)
- Stop leaving spirits open to the elements. For cheap stuff it doesn't matter, but I find myself chasing a fuller/newer bottle of single malt when possible.
- More and cleaner bathrooms
- Better spa treatments / availability
- More consistent climate control
- The arrangement with Starbucks for T3C looked nice, sadly didn't take advantage of it myself. One can wish...
- Display the gates when they're decided, not at a set time before the flight.
- Faster shuttles. The security check does eat up quite some time too.
- Fast track isn't really fast. You're even sent to the same queue quite often if you pick the North side. (Luckily the First Wing is alright)
- Galleries South is annoyingly far. Why they put the CCR in the way, I don't know. It doesn't make sense.
Lounge stuff:
- Better beer selection (wine and whisky are okay)
- Stop leaving spirits open to the elements. For cheap stuff it doesn't matter, but I find myself chasing a fuller/newer bottle of single malt when possible.
- More and cleaner bathrooms
- Better spa treatments / availability
- More consistent climate control
- The arrangement with Starbucks for T3C looked nice, sadly didn't take advantage of it myself. One can wish...
#158
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 179
#159
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 179
Agree with the poster re Traffic flow from one side of T5 tonthe other. It's like an assault course.
in terms of lounges the whole shower complex and toilets stripped out and replaced with tiles. I've counted 3 different installations of various lino style shower/toilet floor over the years.
Be more creative and remove the "Cinema" in Galleries Club. I've not been up there recently but the last time the "TV" wasn't HD and everyone use the sofa as a place to sleep.
in terms of lounges the whole shower complex and toilets stripped out and replaced with tiles. I've counted 3 different installations of various lino style shower/toilet floor over the years.
Be more creative and remove the "Cinema" in Galleries Club. I've not been up there recently but the last time the "TV" wasn't HD and everyone use the sofa as a place to sleep.
#160
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
Programs: BA
Posts: 8,475
I'm aware there is a Planning Permission restriction on T5 that restricts the overall capacity of the facility. However, setting that aside.
- Build Satellite D, and move BA out of T3.
- Have a separate segregated domestic area in Main Terminal A which does not need the huge conformance (Just like the old T1 had).
- Extend satellites as far as possible to the current remote stands. I'm aware some cannot be done because they impinge on building structure limits close to runways, but does not apply to all.
- Disband the satellite Transit. It's introduction coincided with the government requirement to segregate arrining and departing passengers, which wrecked its usefulness on multiple grounds. put in moving walkways instead in the tunnels.
- Make all the retail staff, especially the platoons in each fragrance stall, do initial time on the security counters and DON'T let them go to retail positions each shift if the security is not fully staffed.
- Same as 5 for all the top floor BA execs at Waterside.
#161
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Peterborough, UK
Programs: BA Silver; IHG Spire; Avis P+; Global Entry
Posts: 1,496
- Disband the satellite Transit. It's introduction coincided with the government requirement to segregate arrining and departing passengers, which wrecked its usefulness on multiple grounds. put in moving walkways instead in the tunnels.
- Make all the retail staff, especially the platoons in each fragrance stall, do initial time on the security counters and DON'T let them go to retail positions each shift if the security is not fully staffed.
5. This is none logical as they are employed by different company’s to HAL
#163
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 61,107
Yes it is. Once you get out on the level below the transit on the lifts it is totally obvious anyway, it's a near straight-line under the apron, under T5B and on to T5C. The signs are completely clear but it follows logic anyway, you could do it without the signs quite easily. The main thread on the Passageways has photos of the signs.
#164
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 41,087
there is a photo guide to the walkways linked to in the dashboard.